Tips to Avoiding the Dreaded Dry Lip

Have you ever gone to apply lipstick in the morning and realized that your lips are extremely chapped? I’ll let you in on a little secret, I suffer from what I affectionately refer to as “perma chapped lips.” Certain foods, especially spicy or salty, would burn my lips. Kissing doesn’t sound like fun, and we all know it should be!! I know that it can be easy to just reach for your chapstick to hopefully help remedy the problem. And while that can help to an extent, you have to be picky about what type you are putting on! Here are some tips to help keep your lips soft and healthy.

Water, water, water. I know we’ve all heard it since the day we were born, but water should be your first line of defense against chapped lips. The best part about drinking a lot of water, it has so many benefits besides helping you lips stay hydrated. Quality of skin will improve, the bags under your eyes wont’ be as bad, you’re more awake, you are more full so you won’t eat as much… The list keeps going! So hopefully you are on board the water train!

Use a lip scrub. Lip scrubs are usually made from sugar but there are a few options out there. I personally love the lip scrubs by Lush (Mint Julips is my favorite!). They are flavored and 100% natural so it’s okay if you “accidentally” get some in your mouth. Rub those lips with the scrub so you can feel it exfoliating. Tip, go just past your lip line as you exfoliate. We all tend to exfoliate our faces in different ways, but stop and think about the last time you got really close to your lips as you did it? By extending past the lip line you are helping your skin, lips, it’s a complete win-win! Do this at night so that in the morning your lips are ready for that lipstick.

Once you’ve used the lip scrub, you will want to make sure you are moisturizing your lips. It’s just like when you exfoliate your skin/face. That new fresh layer of skin needs some moisture to help protect it. But before you reach for your favorite chapstick, stop and read the ingredients. A lot of chapstick has ingredients that can build up in your lips and can eventually add to the problem of chapped lips. You will want a paraben-free product, that has sunscreen in it (just a bonus benefit), that doesn’t have aloe butter, vitamin e (can irritate lips), or alcohol. My personal favorite is the LipSense Lip Balm (a little goes a long way and is extremely moisturizing). But if you’re not sure that you want to try that, Vaseline is always a safe way to go.

These are a just a few tips on what to do, but I think it’s just as important to know what to avoid when you have dry lips. First, throw out old glosses and chapsticks. Everything expires! And when a product like chapstick expires its most likely because the products are breaking down and no longer working properly. They also can be a breeding ground for bacteria which is just plain nasty. Don’t pick at the dry flakes on your lips. I am extremely guilty of this, but I promise I’m working on it. You can cause bleeding and also open your lips to bacteria. Also, licking your lips isn’t going to help you at all. It might feel good for a second, but can lead to more drying. Remember that water is important on a cellular level which is why we drink it, but on the surface level it’s a matter of putting the right things on the lips to help them heal.